After Hours
Women in the Arts Networking Event
Join us for a fun evening of connection inspired by The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century.
The night kicks off with a panel discussion on the experiences of women in the hip-hop industry, followed by access to The Culture, food and drink from The Classic Catering People, giveaway floral arrangements by Crimson & Clover, and music by Kotic Couture in the beautiful Fox Court.
The panel features the first influential woman MC of hip-hop culture, MC Sha-Rock; graffiti writer and fashion designer Claw Money; rapper, artist, and director TT The Artist; and community organizer, media producer, archivist, and founder of the Hip Hop Education Center Martha Diaz as moderator.
Women of all ages, orientations, and experiences are welcome!
Schedule
6-7 p.m.
*Panel Discussion
BMA Auditorium
7-8:30 p.m.
Food, Drink, Music, Silent Auction & Access to The Culture
Fox Court
Tickets
BMA Members: $45 | Non-Members: $55
Tickets include entry, food, and one complimentary drink ticket. Additional drink tickets will be available for purchase onsite.
Silent Auction
New this year! We are excited to host a silent auction featuring items from the following cultural partners and women-owned businesses:
*At the BMA, we strive to host accessible and inclusive events. The talk in our Auditorium includes live captioning. ASL interpretation is available upon request. To request this or other accommodations, please email smevorach@artbma.org or call 443-573-1797.
Should any issues arise causing modification or cancellation of events, the BMA will make every effort to inform confirmed guests as quickly as possible.
Interested in sponsoring this event? Please contact smevorach@artbma.org.
Panel Participants
Martha Diaz
Martha Diaz (MD) is an award-winning community organizer, media producer, archivist, curator, educator, and social entrepreneur. MD has traversed the Hip-Hop entertainment industry, the public arts and education sector, and the academy over the past 30 years. Through her exhibitions, and publications of research reports, books, and curricula, she has chronicled Hip-Hop history to preserve its cultural value and memory. MD curated the first Hip-Hop movie series presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served as a guest curator at the Museum of the Moving Image and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. A graduate of New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program, MD has worked on archival projects with Parkwood Entertainment (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) and the Tupac Shakur Estate, to name a few. In 2010, MD launched the Hip-Hop Education Center for Research, Evaluation, and Training to professionalize and cultivate the Hip-Hop Education movement. MD is co-Chair of the California Department of Education Arts, Media, and Entertainment CTE Hip Hop Education and Equity Initiative, and Chair of the Archives, Curatorial, and Education Committee at the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
TT The Artist
Club Queen Records CEO, TT The Artist is a rapper, artist, and director whose work is an intersection of music, art, fashion, and film. Her bold and colorful visual storytelling is influenced by her love for black cinema and narratives that expand the representation of women of color and LGBTQIA+ stories on screen. TT The Artist’s musical success in television and film sync world has secured her placements on Lena Waithe’s The Chi, Twenties, Netflix’s original Nappily Ever After, P-Valley, and Issa Rae’s hit series Insecure. Inspired by the musical influence of Baltimore club music pioneer Dj K Swift, in 2018 she launched Club Queen Records, an independent, women-focused record label pushing women’s voices to the forefront of hip hop, dance, pop, and RnB genres. Her Netflix critically acclaimed debut film Dark City Beneath The Beat, a musical documentary about the rising Baltimore club music and dance culture, is being noted as a love letter to Baltimore that uplifts the narrative of a city overshadowed by drugs, trauma, and crime. In the summer of 2021, TT The Artist was summoned by Alicia Keys to direct Noted: Alicia Keys The Untold Stories, a four-part doc series. Now two-time RIAA-certified platinum musician and award-winning director, TT The Artist joins a unique roster of emerging directors and writers under Color Creative, a media platform for women and minority filmmakers founded by Issa Rae and Deniese Davis.
MC Sha-Rock
MC Sha-Rock is a historic element of Hip Hop Culture history, often referred to as the “Luminary Icon” or the “Mother of the Mic.” Established as a b-girl/break dancer, MC Sha-Rock later elevated to become the Hip Hop culture’s first female emcee as part of the legendary rap group called The Funky 4 and has built a foundation for other female emcees worldwide. For over four decades, MC Sha-Rock has contributed to the Hip Hop movement. In 1979, MC Sha-Rock signed a recording contract with Enjoy Records and its owner Bobby Robinson. In 1981 MC Sha-Rock and members of the group made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live hosted by Deborah Harry from the legendary rock group Blondie, making them the first Hip Hop group to appear on national television. Her work includes several documentaries and movies, including a feature in the iconic movie Beat Street, directed by Stan Latham and produced by Harry Belafonte. MC Sha-Rock continues to give lectures to universities and college campuses around the world on the origins of Hip Hop culture from its inception. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University.
Claw Money
Claudia “Claw Money” Gold is the personification of NYC resolve. Gold is a pioneering graffiti writer, artist, designer, curator, stylist, costume designer, fashion editor, archivist, marketing and branding expert, author, agitator, mentor, and arbiter of downtown NYC culture. She lives and works in NYC…still!
Thank you to our lead event sponsors, The Classic Catering People and Crimson & Clover Floral Design, Inc.